How to build an org tree from a spreadsheet
The fastest way to build an org tree is not to draw it. Every tree is fully described by a three-column list (who, what they do, who they report to), so the real work is getting that list right. Here is how to prepare it, and how to turn it into a laid-out tree in a couple of minutes.
Step 1: Build the list
Open a spreadsheet and make four columns: Name, Department, Role, and Reports To. Add one row per person. Department is optional for most rows, because in OrgTree.app people inherit their manager's department unless you set their own.
- Alex Morgan | Leadership | Chief Executive Officer | (blank)
- Priya Shah | Sales | Head of Sales | Alex Morgan
- Dana Kim | | Account Executive | Priya Shah
- Robin Patel | | Account Executive | Priya Shah
Step 2: Check the three things that break trees
Almost every org tree that will not draw correctly has one of these problems:
- Duplicate names. Reports To matches by name, so two people called "Sam Lee" make every line naming Sam ambiguous. Add an initial or a middle name.
- Spelling drift. "Priya Shah" in the Name column and "Priya S." in someone's Reports To are two different people to a computer. Copy names rather than retyping them.
- Loops. If A reports to B and B reports to A (often through a long chain), there is no top. Every chain upward must end at the one person with a blank Reports To.
Step 3: Paste and review
Copy the four columns without the header row, open orgtree.app, click the first cell of the people sheet, and paste. The tree lays itself out; problem rows come back as warnings (a skipped duplicate, a manager name that matches nobody) so you can fix the cell rather than hunt through the chart.
Then read the tree the way a new hire would. Wrong manager? Change one Reports To cell and that person moves, with their whole branch.
Step 4: Keep it current
An org tree is only useful while it is true. Because the chart is generated from the list, keeping it current is list maintenance: add a row for a new starter, blank out a leaver, change a manager. For a tree several people maintain, move it into a free QueryChart account so it lives in the cloud with its version history.
Frequently asked questions
Can I build an org tree in Excel alone?
Excel can hold the list, and SmartArt can draw small hierarchies, but SmartArt is drawn by hand and does not read your columns. Pasting the list into a generator is faster for anything beyond a dozen people.
What if my HR export uses manager IDs?
Add a lookup column that converts each manager ID to the manager's name, and use that as Reports To.
Try it on your own team
The editor is free and opens with a starter org chart. One row per person, and the chart draws itself as you type. No signup required.
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